Hillary: There’s more to find on Benghazi and the IRS

posted at 8:01 am on June 18, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

Who knew the former Secretary of State was such a fan of getting answers? When Congress tried to get answers about the failures that led to the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Hillary Clinton infamously erupted in anger, asking “What difference at this point does it make?” Now that she’s preparing a run for the presidency, it apparently makes more difference now than it did then:

There are still too many unanswered questions about the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday, even as she welcomed the capture of a suspected mastermind of the assaults.

“There are answers, not all of them, not enough, frankly,” she said of the September 2012 attacks on a diplomatic and CIA compound that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others.

“I’m still looking for answers, because it was a confusing and difficult time,” Clinton said.

Her remarks, delivered during a CNN interview in Washington to promote her new book, appeared to lend credence to a central claim by Republicans that there is more to learn about the Benghazi tragedy. The Obama administration has said that after multiple investigations, there is little new to say about the attacks.

It’s also a statement against her own interests, and a sharp change from the past 18 months since the issuance of the Accountability Review Board. Since December 2012, Hillary has insisted that the ARB report was the sine qua non of Benghazi answers, but that report hasn’t convinced many Americans — perhaps because the ARB spent more time avoiding accountability than pursuing it. In this answer, Hillary has thrown away the ARB fig leaf and finally acknowledged that it didn’t provide any comprehensive answers at all, thanks to its relentless focus on everyone below the level of the actual decision-makers.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says “the investigation needs to continue” into possible wrongdoing at the IRS — a position that puts her at odds with many fellow Democrats.

In an interview Tuesday night, Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren noted that President Obama has called allegations the IRS targeted conservative groups a “phony scandal.” Van Susteren added a simple question: “Is it a phony scandal?”

“Well, I think that any time the IRS is involved, for many people, it’s a real scandal,” Clinton began. “And I think, though, that there are some challenges that rightly need to be made to what is being said, and I assume that the inquiry will continue.”

“So I don’t have the details,” Clinton continued, “but I think what President Obama means is there really wasn’t a lot of evidence there that this was deliberate, but that’s why the investigation needs to continue.”

Hillary tried to salvage the “phony scandal” slam by saying it applies to “the circus” around the scandal, but that’s clearly not what the White House has said about it. Barack Obama went on national TV in February to proclaim that there’s “not even a smidgen of corruption” at the IRS — while Lerner takes the Fifth and the agency loses two years of e-mails related to the targeting practice. In the same interview, Obama also claimed that the White House had already shared all the answers on Benghazi, too. That argument was intended not to criticize “the circus” but to preclude the very investigations that Hillary now endorses, at least nominally.

This is nothing more than Hillary putting distance between herself and Obama … and on Benghazi, between Hillary 2012 and Hillary 2016.

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I’m beginning to think Hildabeast is as senile as Thad Cochran and Harry “pederast” Reid.

She’s become a worse gaffe machine than Biden. There is no way she is running for President. And even if she is, there is no way she’s winning. Indeed, run or not run. At this point, what difference does it make?

Not sure how Hillary can run as being in favor of more investigations of Benghazi when she was the individual responsible for it and has already stated on record that there is nothing left to investigate.

Wonder if Hot Air is going to talk about the polling numbers on combat troops in Iraq…the interventionists are about as popular as the “tea party” these days. And what do you know, they are pretty much the same 20% of the population that, for some reason, is treated as if it’s some kind if important majority.

As for this story, *sigh* this was the moment for me. When it sunk in that Hillary is going to president and that she’s learned nothing. Save us Elizabeth Warren…

This is nothing more than Hillary putting distance between herself and Obama … and on Benghazi, between Hillary 2012 and Hillary 2016.

Good luck with that. At this point, Hillary may as well just say the hell with it and openly campaign on the platform of her Presidency being her husband’s third term. That and play up her gender in order to sucker the idiots out there who are more preoccupied with making history(again) instead of electing a competent President. Cuz she ain’t getting elected on her own record or personality.

simple, she detests obama and now she is free she can undercut him.
when it would hurt her she was willing to lie, now it can’t hurt her she is willing to say stuff.
notice I didn’t say tell the truth there….

I wonder when you’ll notice that I linked it yesterday and discussed it in a post, and even noted the poll in a sub-hed on the front page. Alternately, I wonder if you’ll just continue to talk out of your hat as usual.

simple, she detests obama and now she is free she can undercut him.
when it would hurt her she was willing to lie, now it can’t hurt her she is willing to say stuff.
notice I didn’t say tell the truth there….

dmacleo on June 18, 2014 at 8:13 AM

King Narcissus will not stay silent while his “divine” perfection is thrown under the bus. He isn’t psychologically capable of it.

I wonder when you’ll notice that I linked it yesterday and discussed it in a post, and even noted the poll in a sub-hed on the front page. Alternately, I wonder if you’ll just continue to talk out of your hat as usual.

Ed Morrissey on June 18, 2014 at 8:16 AM

Really Ed? “Discussed it in a post?” As any regular reader of the site knows, you have no problem putting poll numbers in blog titles, when those numbers advance your ideology. Oddly, that didn’t happen here. No one reads every post on the site, and to say I’m being negligent in my reading because I didn’t catch the paragraph *within* a post where you dealt with polling numbers on Iraq, is doing too much. As for sub-headlines, they move from the front page to the back page pretty quickly. If I didn’t have to time to search through the dozens of posts about Iraq here in the last few days, I certainly don’t now. But you should try and acknowledge that the week of conservative haranguing and complaining about Iraq has been met by the nation with indifference. A fact that anyone could have predicted as support for foreign policy isolation has been among the most consistent and bipartisan points of agreement among the American people since the 2006 midterms. Which must be a tough thing for neoconservatives to accept I know, but don’t get mad at me for it.

Hillary is attempting to throw Obama and his administration under the bus. She must have judged (perhaps correctly) that the best tactical move is to divorce herself from this administration so she can restore “honor” to the Democratic party. Surely, though, Obama must have some dirt on her as well.

I hope this is a sign of more to come. Watching the left eat itself will be a damned fine show.

There’s more to find on Benghazi and the IRS – Nixon wishes he would have thought of a similar line.

There’s never been a time in the last twenty years when the left wanted to get to the important business of running the country. They aren’t interested in the nation’s business. They have more important interests like promoting homo marriage, dividing the races, and being in a perpetual state of outrage over the name of a football team.

Brainfree is a delusional and dishonest little pr!ck who attempts to change the subject in every thread he posts on. Someone so stupid as to post the following (and never have the courage or integrity to support or apologize for it) needs to be banned already. He needs more time to himself to smoke pot.

Here’s a simple question for you. Which of the founding fathers did not subscribe to the communitarian ethos Calhoun deploys to rationalize slavery? *sets sundial*

libfreeordie on August 21, 2013 at 9:30 AM

None. They weren’t nascent Commies like John C. Calhoun, and full blown Commies like you. Don’t you think you need to provide some proof for such a ridiculous smear there Mr. Calhoun? You’re a history perfesser, right?

Translation: I only read the headlines before commenting. That comes as no surprise to the rest of us.

Hint: Do a search on “PPP” and you’ll find the link. Read past the headline on the post, which was a roundup of news on Iraq, that poll included. Next time, don’t assume I haven’t written about something just because all you do is scan the headlines.

I wonder when you’ll notice that I linked it yesterday and discussed it in a post, and even noted the poll in a sub-hed on the front page. Alternately, I wonder if you’ll just continue to talk out of your hat as usual.

Hint: Do a search on “PPP” and you’ll find the link. Read past the headline on the post, which was a roundup of news on Iraq, that poll included. Next time, don’t assume I haven’t written about something just because all you do is scan the headlines.

Ed Morrissey on June 18, 2014 at 8:36 AM

From the Party that brought us Low Information Voters, they now introduce: Low Information TROLLS!

She was tiptoeing thru the tulips on every answer to Greta or Bret. She was so agreeable with their positions that if they had asked if she thought agw was a hoax, she would have agreed on that, too. There was nothing but moderation coming forth in that interview and this is why her book isn’t selling. She is also still clinging to the video as a partial cause for the attack after everything that has come out. Lord, help us.

You think you can dismiss obama’s ineptitude because of a poll I take it. That’s basically what you’re saying, right.

To claim Obama is “inept” on Iraq, is to claim that there was a version of “U.S. invades and occupies Iraq” that would not have ended in civil war. No such world exists unless we did a permanent military occupation.

You go on about Ed’s intellectual creds

*record scratc* No I didn’t.

<blockquote>while you’re begging for a story to be buried because of a poll. You’re a pathetic as they come and a coward.

Literally makes no sense.

Translation: I only read the headlines before commenting. That comes as no surprise to the rest of us.

Ed Morrissey on June 18, 2014 at 8:36 AM

I think that statement describes many HotAir readers. But either way I will refrain from assuming that something hasn’t been “written about” in the future. The general theme of my point remains. The site had a week of headlines decrying the failure in Iraq and buried the lead on poling showing the American people simply don’t share your foreign policy ideology. Whatever “gotcha” moment you’ve had with me here today, that fact is undeniable.

I still remember those files showing up in the White House personal residence and she had no idea how they go there……FBI files weren’t they?

The fact that people like this don’t get run out of office or shamed into retirement tells us more about OURSELVES as voters than it does about them and their character.

Think about it.

A 1/2-term abortion pushing Senator that happens to be black being elected to the highest office in the Free World? And then being re-elected after 4 years of failure?

Joe Biden, one of the best back-slapping ignorant politicians in decades (the Dan Quayle type dumb of the Democrats) being picked by Obama to be VICE PRESIDENT? And a leading contender, at his age, in 2016?

And Hillary Clinton? A jilted woman married to a great adulterer “owed” her political career being the likely nominee of the Democrats in just two years? A complete failure as Sec State….and can you imagine a woman scorned….in the OVAL OFFICE?

As for this story, *sigh* this was the moment for me. When it sunk in that Hillary is going to president and that she’s learned nothing. Save us Elizabeth Warren…

libfreeordie on June 18, 2014 at 8:08 AM

LOL. Big Chief Sitting Bull($hit) is an even bigger fraud than Hillary Clinton. And like Hillary, she’s another “trailing spouse” who had to use her more-talented husband (and her own lies about her non-existent Indian heritage) to have a career.

One would think that the “party of women” would be able to offer up candidates more impressive than Dumb and Dumber. But I guess when your female ideal is lifetime-government-dependent “Julia,” it’s not that surprising after all.

simple, she detests obama and now she is free she can undercut him.
when it would hurt her she was willing to lie, now it can’t hurt her she is willing to say stuff.
notice I didn’t say tell the truth there….

dmacleo on June 18, 2014 at 8:13 AM

She’s positioning herself as being OUTSIDE the Administration because BIDEN will have to run as the old bald Obama. With all the “summer of recovery” commercials run against him.

Just Progressive political Theater.
Pick your favorite actor, the play will be the same.

When HRC says she wants more answers, she’s saying that she knows these scandals have become a problem for her and her party and may possibly hang around and affect the 2016 election. She wants to satisfy the curiosity of the non-Lefty media so the controversies go away, not necessarily discover truth, release those findings, assign responsibility, and remedy the problems. She was willing to spew the self-serving video-maker bs to a grieving parent as his child’s casket was wheeled past for crying out loud. She’ll say or do anything for personal gain.

There are eight pictures of Hildebeast on the front page. I’m sick of looking at her. This is a pass the popcorn moment. I don’t know if she is senile or just counting on the Democratic/Media thing where the past is an erased white board. I’m going to guess the IRS scandal doesn’t touch her but Benghazi sure does.
Unless Benghazi is so big and her role is minor, there is no way continuing that investigation doesn’t damage her.
I rather have Senile Hilly than Fauxahontas so I’m sticking with popcorn.

As for this story, *sigh* this was the moment for me. When it sunk in that Hillary is going to president and that she’s learned nothing. Save us Elizabeth Warren…
libfreeordie on June 18, 2014 at 8:08 AM

Above libfree is swearing allegiance to Fauxcahontus because an article was posted about Hillary seemingly wanting to get to the bottom of the IRS scandal and more importantly Benghazi. (At least to some degree to make it appear as if she really cared). Now, he’d prefer that information to be buried. He also seemingly, doesn’t think a poll about US opinion on military intervention got enough attention. His basic point; no one cares about Iraq and so please stop talking about that story. He obviously wants news from Iraq, buried.

I am so disgusted with the constant coverage Hillary is getting all across the media. Is is as though everyone both GOP and Democrat are out there promoting her for president! They will take a poll now and show how all the Americans want her–no Republican mentioned just Hillary 24/7–of course the polls will show her as #1 choice! The sheeple are so easily controlled!

(REVISED AS OF 10/05/98 — Passed House, amended)
Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 – Declares that it should be the policy of the United States to seek to remove the Saddam Hussein regime from power in Iraq and to replace it with a democratic government.

and who signed it??????

Before George Bush decided to even RUN for president!!!!

One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.”
–President Bill Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.”
–President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

“Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.”
–Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.”
–Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

“[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.”
Letter to President Clinton, signed by:
— Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998

“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.”

We are in Iraq today because of Jimmy Carters ineptness!!!!…he allowed Iran to fall into the Mullahs hands by not propping up the Shah….which in turned destabilized Iraq which we had to prop up?????…The Iraq war started…when Iraq invaded Kuwait…IT NEVER ENDED????????????????????

THERE WAS A CEASE FIRE WHICH WAS CONTINUALLY VIOLATED??? AND THEN 9/11

I didn’t know George Bush started a war in Syria and armed terrorist who eventually overran a relatively stable country he left with a nationally elected leader and constitution. Do you have a link?

hawkdriver on June 18, 2014 at 9:00 AM

libfreeordie has a huge problem. Obama is a warmonger – Obama was a warmonger in Libya, and Obama was a warmonger with respect to Syria.

So, instead of criticizing his messiah, libfreeordie has to pretend that the warmongering is all coming from the right. libfreeordie has to pretend that Obama is somehow being forced to warmonger by the right – which is nonsense.

Hey, libfreeordie, it’s ok to criticize Obama for being a warmonger. You know you want to do it.

support for foreign policy isolation has been among the most consistent and bipartisan points of agreement among the American people since the 2006 midterms.

libfreeordie on June 18, 2014 at 8:28 AM

So you are supporting Pat Buchanan in the next election?

Huckabye-Romney on June 18, 2014 at 11:13 AM

Excellent question. One has to wonder why the isolationists that libfree claims are so prevalent would vote for a warmonger like Obama. Regardless, it’s obvious that libfree is under tremendous stress about all of this.

its important to describe the house in Benghazi as what it was….its was NOT…an embassy….it was not a consulate…it was a “Mission”…as described in official documents….The US Embassy is in Tripoli!!!????

Benghazi..was/is the center for terrorists…. the same terrorists who are now marching towards Bagdad. Hilary,Stevens and the CIA were running guns to the same people who are now bombing and killing Iraqs!!!

Hey, libfreeordie, it’s ok to criticize Obama for being a warmonger. You know you want to do it.

No no no, you’ve got it all wrong. libfreeordie doesn’t give a flying f*ck about warmongering, or state sanctioned violence against brown people. He is a Liberal/Progressive. His hypocrisy knows no bounds, and he has no real principles. His entire ethos revolves around an infantile and juvenile impulse to denigrate the U.S. And the best way to do that is to keep Democrats looking as good as possible, which, in this case, involves removing all agency and culpability from THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD.

Here’s the rub about Obama: libs need to decide that he is either the most consequential president evah based on his legislation and policies or simply can’t get anything done as the victim of a recalcitrant and obstructionist GOP.

Of course, if you accept the former, then you have to look at the results of said legislation and policies. The only sane conclusion you can then reach is that he is incompetent.

To take the other tack and espouse the latter is to deny his deity and post-partisan street cred. He is, after all, the one we have been waiting for. Paints him as simply another hack that can’t get anything done.

Must be so tough for them to live with the incongruity day in and day out. Was the same with their Bush Derangement Syndrome – he was a retarded monkey while simultaneously living as a criminal mastermind bending people and buildings as it were to his will.

I mean, I’m sure he was/would have been totally fine with Clinton blowing up an aspirin factory (or was it a baby food factory?) with a 90s-era cruise missile. Doesn’t matter if it gets Lewinsky off the front page.

Wonder if Hot Air is going to talk about the polling numbers on combat troops in Iraq…the interventionists are about as popular as the “tea party” these days. And what do you know, they are pretty much the same 20% of the population that, for some reason, is treated as if it’s some kind if important majority.

As for this story, *sigh* this was the moment for me. When it sunk in that Hillary is going to president and that she’s learned nothing. Save us Elizabeth Warren…

Found out that Am. Stevens requested a C-130 and military support 1 month before the attack took place in Benghazi. This support was denied by the State-Department. Also found out that the Al Qaeda attackers had stolen the Consulate’s cell-phones and were talking directly to their leaders during the attack. The C.I.A. were recording and knew immediately who the leaders and participants were. (Remember how the President and Hilary went on for two weeks that this attack was caused by a video-tape ?) Also found out that an Air Force C-17 cargo plane was four and 1/2 hours from the Benghazi airport. Major Eric Stahl said that they could have picked up Am. Stevens and the C.I.A. personnel before the final attack. They never received orders to do so. Instead they were diverted to Tripoli.

Yes, save us Elizabeth Warren. You are our only hope. What with your vast experience in foreign policy acting as the intermediary between the Great Father in Washington and the tribal councils of the Cherokee, only you can guide us through the turbulence generated by men such Putin, Assad and all of the assorted Mohammeds that plague us.

Dude, it would actually make you sound more hopeful, sane and credible if you merely said, “We’re doomed!” instead of appealing to the Mighty Fauxahontas.

I wonder when you’ll notice that I linked it yesterday and discussed it in a post, and even noted the poll in a sub-hed on the front page. Alternately, I wonder if you’ll just continue to talk out of your hat as usual.

Ed Morrissey on June 18, 2014 at 8:16 AM

Ed, libfree is purely a troll. There are some others here like him, too. They aren’t hard to identify. All they do is put people like you and me down. They never argue constructively, because they lack the interest. They only care about causing disruption. They are negatively impacting the enjoyment of other users, the majority of whom do argue in good faith.

Why are such poor guests, who would rather insult others than contribute positively, even allowed to post here? Personally, I think you should put them on a tighter leash, moderation-wise.